L train crisis? Let’s get real, it’s mostly hype

A volunteer for Transportation Alternatives this past winter advocating at Union Square for his group’s “PeopleWay” plan for 14th St. during the coming L train shutdown in Manhattan. The writer claims that during recent community workshops at which the issue was discussed, T.A. “seeded” tables with its members, who selectively jotted down suggestions that jibed with the plan.

BY JOHN WETHERHOLD | The closure of the L train is indeed a huge problem if you live in Brooklyn. Not so much In Manhattan.

Extremist groups — who want to achieve a vision that only they want — take advantage of this supposed “crisis” to promote a radical agenda. Are they part of the city government? I think not. We saw that in the recent workshops that were organized by the local politicians. The workshops’ format was not a presentation or facts but a phony discussion of major changes that could take place on 14th St.

The role of Transportation Alternatives in pushing its “PeopleWay” plan should be of major concern to all who want their voices to be heard. This group had salted the tables with their members, of course, who want to throttle or eliminate all traffic on the street, and they presented alternatives that reflected their own views. At each table, notes were recorded on all of the comments on bicycles and pedestrian malls — on other suggestions, not at all.

Borough President Gale Brewer, Assemblymember Deborah Glick and state Senator Brad Hoylman should not have allowed the participants to be treated this way. The answers that come out of this process are foreordained and do not reflect the views of the residents and taxpayers of the Village.

The real increase in traffic, in terms of buses and cars — including taxis — that this plan would cause are not known. Numbers were batted about, including 50,000 riders on the L train in Manhattan, but no one really knows if these counts are correct. They are designed to put people in a panic mode. Something must be done.

We should prioritize traffic on the basis of velocity, capacity and density. No Select Bus Service is needed. Here are some ideas:

First, replace all buses with stairs with fast-loading low-entry buses.

Second, bring traffic agents back from ticketing to traffic direction at key intersections.

Fifth, for the duration of the extra-ridership period, eliminate all street fairs, holiday markets and similar uses that impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

Sixth, close the following streets to reduce cross traffic: University Place between 13th and 14th Sts.; Union Square West between 17th and 14th Sts.; Irving Place between 15th and 14th Sts.

Seventh, do not allow left turns at major avenues except for emergency vehicles and buses.

These suggestions should allow traffic and buses to flow easily. The problem with Select Service Buses is that they demand a dedicated lane that cannot be used for parking or delivery for businesses. It throttles the street traffic. If that happens, the parking will spill over to residential streets. Of course, eliminating traffic on 14th St. will create a traffic crisis on the parallel streets. This plan to close 14th St. is both impractical and harmful to the residents and taxpayers in this corridor.

Our local politicians who are pushing this or some version of it have a great deal of contempt for the “sheeple.” They seem driven by visions and ideas that come from ideology not practical experience. Another amusing aspect to this is that these people represent that these changes are temporary. If anyone believes that, I have a bridge to sell you.

None of the larger pieces fit together. The mayor wants to increase density. The Department of Transportation is throttling traffic on the major avenues. The governor is defunding mass transit.

Meanwhile, people are avoiding the subways as undesirable and unreliable. Buses on these deliberately crowded avenues are slow. More and more, average people are using services like Uber (approved by the City Council) and Lyft.

The answer from the ideologues is to remove all traffic, so no one has any choice about how to get around; congestion is deliberately created. This passive-aggressive approach is designed to make people give up on using cars at all. It won’t work and D.O.T. should stop trying. The only thing we will face with these proposals is misery for the average taxpaying resident of this area. The “PeopleWay” plan should not move forward.

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4 Responses to L train crisis? Let’s get real, it’s mostly hype

Wow. This proposal would do nothing to mitigate the closure of the train. Even if the 50k riders/day isn’t exact, the L train is the only downtown crosstown route that isn’t a bus. It’s fast and efficient; above ground travel is not, especially crosstown. Sounds like another NIMBY opponent of any sensible plan that is good for city-life, not just those who cling to their habits and cars because they can. The People Way isn’t perfect, but our antiquated infrastructure and ways of moving people around this town aren’t either. The 21st century is here and it should be embraced. 14th Street should be used as a model for what above ground travel should look like: prioritized for pedestrians and access to businesses, not the needs of private car owners. Do is all a favor and ride the new M23 SBS route. It’s fantastic compared to what it used to be.

As a resident of 13th Street I can understand the writer's concerns. However, the 50K number of Manhattan only L Train ridership comes from the MTA, not TA! I like the idea about stricter enforcement, but think it needs to go farther than suggested in the article. The biggest problem on 14th Street currently are vehicles double parking under the guise of making a delivery, taxis and Ubers turning on their emergency flashers which gives them the immediate right to pick up or discharge passengers at the expense of everyone else around them, and of course pedestrians crossing the streets no matter what the little man in the traffic light tells them to do. The L Train closure is an extreme reduction in public transportation options and requires an extreme response.

Hey, Wow. This proposal would do nothing to mitigate the closure of the train. Even if the 50k riders/day isn't exact, the L train is the only downtown crosstown route that isn't a bus. It's fast and efficient; above ground travel is not, especially crosstown. Sounds like another NIMBY opponent of any sensible plan that is good for city-life, not just those who cling to their habits and cars because they can. The People Way isn't perfect, but our antiquated infrastructure and ways of moving people around this town aren't either. The 21st century is here and it should be embraced. 14th Street should be used as a model for what above ground travel should look like: prioritized for pedestrians and access to businesses, not the needs of private car owners. Do is all a favor and ride the new M23 SBS route. It's fantastic compared to what it used to be.